Famous Idaho® Potato Truck Visits Akron Children’s

A visit from the Famous Idaho® Potato Truck was an eye-opening experience for patients, families and employees at Akron Children’s Hospital.

Children and adults alike giggled, stared and pulled out their phones to capture the sight of a 12,000 pound potato in front of Akron Children’s Hospital on Monday, July 29.

This larger-than-life spud rolled into Akron as part of the Big Idaho Potato Tour on an 18-wheel semi-truck. The Idaho Potato Commission began the tour in 2012 to celebrate its 75th anniversary and has partnered with Meals on Wheels for a seven-and-a-half month tour in 2013. Halfway through its cross-country trek, the potato has travelled more than 12,000 miles and has an estimated 16,000 miles to go.

In fact, the world’s largest real potato was 11 pounds. If the potato on the truck was real, it would have taken 10,000 years to grow and two years and nine months to bake. It would make 1.4 million French fries and 30,325 servings of mashed potatoes.
Though this potato, which is made of concrete and hollow, is not a good source of food, it is a great sight to see.

“It is insane to drive,” Tater Team Member Kristie Wolfe said. “People hang out of the windows of their cars or drive ahead and park on the side of the road to take pictures as we drive by.”

In addition to touting the benefits of Idaho potatoes, the Tater Team is raising awareness for Meals on Wheels, an organization that provides food to senior citizens who are in need of daily meals. You can go online to bigidahopotato.com to donate and find out more information. The Big Idaho Potato Tour has already donated $200,000.